Portland eyes MLS revival after surge against Seattle
The Portland Timbers are ninth in the Western Conference -- six places below the Seattle Sounders, their chief rival. But you wouldn't know it from the way they have dominated Seattle lately.
On Saturday, the Timbers defeated the Sounders, 4-1 -- their fourth straight win over Seattle. Portland has outscored the Sounders, 11-2, during the streak.
The key moment for the Timbers on Saturday was Dairon Asprilla's wild second-half bicycle kick, a contender for the MLS goal of the season.
"The energy that we got after Asprilla's amazing goal... was the moment that took the team to a different level," Portland head coach Giovanni Savarese said. "And then we finished very, very strong."
Portland's dominance of Seattle is a matter of pride for its fans in the Pacific Northwest. The cities have been competing on the field since the NASL days of the mid-1970s, and while Seattle has the all-time edge, games like Saturday's help push Portland closer to parity.
In the next month, the Timbers will face FC Cincinnati, St. Louis City SC and Austin. A few days ago, those matches seemed unwinnable for them. But the confidence boost of the win over Seattle may be just what Portland needs to turn around its season narrative.
"It has the possibility," Savarese said.
With goals like Asprilla's and positive energy pouring out of the dressing room, you can't knock their chances.
The Western Conference is notoriously wild, and the Timbers could climb back into the upper echelon with a few more efforts like the one against Seattle.
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